♫Makin' a soundtrack for another planet to hear♫" on @PumpUpThaVolume! Episode052 - Let The Day Begin was recorded at the home studios of MediaMonarchy.com and features brand new #SongOfTheDay sounds from Josh Ritter, Dan Croll, The Men, Caitlin Rose, Escondido, !!!, Pickwick, Iron and Wine, Hanni El Khatib, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Little Ones, Pert Near Sandstone and Ivan and Alyosha... because it can't be news and politics all the time!

Episode052: MP3/Feed\Archive

Previous: Episode051 - Holy Ghost

Notes

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♬Liner Notes♬: It's another great week of amazing new music from !!! and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, some of my personal favorites + Iron And Wine, Edward Sharpe, Pickwick and much more... Let's kick back, put our headphones on and Pump Up Tha Volume!

Josh Ritter
"Joy To You Baby"
'The Beast In Its Track'
Pytheas, 2013
Note: We'll start this show the way we kicked off Episode048 and that's with new music from folkmeister Ritter. So as My Folking Heart says, "At first listen, Josh Ritterâs latest record, his seventh full-length and first in three years, is your run-of-the-mill break-up record. But, stick around long enough and you begin to realize that this is no run-of-the-mill break-up record after all. Itâs a Josh Ritter break-up record. And definitively so."
(More Info)

Dan Croll
"Compliment Your Soul" single
Turn First, 2013
Note: Contact Music says, "Produced with Swedish Afrobeat producer Johan Hugo of The Very Best, [Dan Croll's] follow up single 'Compliment Your Soul' has a pan-cultural feel that reflects his love of a whole variety of different musical genres. Picking off influences from far and wide; the world music of Paul Simon, experimental orchestral work with African choirs, 1960's psychedelia and sounds..."
(More Info)

The Men
"Half Angel Half Light"
'New Moon'
Sacred Bones, 2013
Note: Song source KEXP says the Brooklyn band "began to incorporate more classic rock and country influences during the recording sessions that produced their fourth album, New Moon (as well as another album that has yet to be released), and on âHalf Angel Half Lightâ, itâs easy to hear the influence of Johnny Thunders and Tom Petty all over the rough three-minute burner."
(More Info)

Caitlin Rose
"Waitin'"
'The Stand In'
ATO, 2013
Note: Among all the interesting reviews on Wikipedia, one says that "Most of the tracks could be singles, successfully marrying a pop sensibility to country twang without sacrificing the best aspects of either approach."
(More Info)

Escondido
"Black Roses"
'The Ghost of Escondido'
Kill Canyon, 2013
Note: Hellhound Music says, "âEscondido is Spanish for âhidden,â but if the Nashville, Tenn. band of the same name has any say in the matter, the meaning will change. Think warm, melodic pop with a touch of desert twang, and youâre just about there."
(More Info)

!!!
"Slyd"
'Thr!!!er'
Warp, 2013
Note: Aw yeah, brand new music from the band whose name is hated by computers: it's !!! (or Chk Chk Chk or Pow Pow Pow). NME says, "One of New Yorkâs finest party bands return with the kind of tune that had people calling them a party band in the first place. Nic Offerâs put his sex-whisper singing to one side to make room for a load of chopped-up vocals that let you get on with your wild-ass dancing, âcos you sure as hell canât sing along to it." We got to see !!! at the Doug Fir Lounge, one of THE best venues here in Portland, one day after their 2011 Coachella set and they were HYPED UP! They played the 300 person room like they were playing a festival... It was pretty sweaty sweet! However, I have to say that on first listen, this new track strikes me as a leftover from their previous album, 'Strange Weather, Isn't It". It's usually several years between !!! records and now it's only been two years... Just sayin'.
(More Info)

Pickwick
"Hacienda Motel"
'Can't Talk Medicine'
self-released, 2013
Note: We heard from Pickwick two weeks ago on Episode050 and now here's more! WXRT says, "The six members of Pickwick have been hailed as âIndie-soul savantsâ by their hometown of Seattle, and rightfully so. Pickwick has captivated fans and critics alike with their vivacious blend of soul, blues and R&B vocals. Their Covers EP is out now and has caused Seattle Weekly to declare âIs 2013 the Year of Pickwick? This Covers EP Says Yes.â "
(More Info)

Iron and Wine
"Grace for Saints and Ramblers"
'Ghost on Ghost'
Nonesuch, 2013
Note: Pitchfork says, "Sam Beam's new Iron & Wine album Ghost on Ghost is out April 16 in the U.S. via Nonesuch and April 15 abroad via 4AD." This is the former Florida professor of film and cinematography's fifth full-length album. God, I love how over-educated indie rockers are!
(More Info)

Hanni El Khatib
"Family"
'Head in the Dirt'
Innovative Leisure, 2013
Note: Song source KEXP says, "The lead single from his sophomore album, âFamily,â is a more expansive take on El Khatibâs âtrainwrecks and knife fightsâ sound, but no less potent. Augmented with jittery piano, frantic drums, and thick bass, El Khatib spits off his lyrics with a Stooges-style disaffected delivery while releasing a chugging riff. After tearing through two verses and a chorus in less than ninety seconds, El Khatib launches into a searing solo that recalls the tasteful style of his producer." That would be Black Keys' Dan Auerbach.
(More Info)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
"Let The Day Begin"
'Specter At The Feast'
Vagrant, 2013
Note: Kick ass, brand new music from another favorite of mine! AllMusic says, "Perhaps the best example of this is BRMC's cover of the Call's 1989 hit, "Let the Day Begin." Poignant yet triumphant and joyful in tone, the cover, as with all of Specter at the Feast, stands as both a heartfelt tribute to their bandmate and a rallying cry for moving forward. " Believe it or not, I saw BMRC on 4/20 in 2002 open up for Spiritualized at the 9:30 Club in DC. Looking forward to seeing them in May (with their new drummer, who I saw when she was the Raveonettes touring drummer!)
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Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
"Wooden Indian"
'The Music Is You: A Tribute To John Denver'
ATO, 2013
Note: Wow, we heard Edward Sharpe waay back on Episode009, but now he's back on the new John Denver tribute record. NPR says, "Ask die-hard John Denver fans why they love the late singer's music so much and they'll likely tell you the same thing: "He makes me cry." Denver, who wrote unabashedly sentimental songs about love, nature and an ever-homesick life on the road, had a rare gift for stirring something inside listeners. To many, his melodies and lyrics could come off as maudlin and conventional. But for the countless believers â and there are many â Denver was a poet, a visionary and a constant companion... "
(More Info)

Little Ones
"Shake Your Sign"
'The Dawn Sang Along'
Branches Recording Collective, 2013
Note: Like Josh Ritter, we also heard The Little Ones back on Episode048. Pop Press International says, "Los Angeles based pop-sextet The Little Ones claims to love the craft of sixties pop and to draw on music of that era, but their second album The Dawn Sang Along clearly has more modern influences. Thereâs a nice touch of The Shins, a heavy dose of Vampire Weekend..."
(More Info)

Pert Near Sandstone
"Ship Of Fools" single
self-released, 2013
Note: "Pert Near Sandstone is releasing a single from their upcoming album, continuing the bluegrass/old time hybrid sound that has brought them to national prominence. The song is Ship Of Fools, and a limited run of 500 7â vinyl copies will be pressed, signed and numbered for a single release event in Minneapolis on March 29. Remaining copies will be available in stores on April 2."
(More Info)

Ivan and Alyosha
"Be Your Man"
'All the Times We Had'
Dualtone, 2013
Note: Song source KCRW says, "Seattle-based folk pop outfit Ivan & Alyosha blend gorgeous harmonies with delectable melodies." Meanwhile, NPR says, "Can a debut album really be "long-awaited"? The Seattle folk-pop band Ivan & Alyosha has been percolating for years now, bubbling up with several ingratiating EPs and even performing a Tiny Desk Concert back in early 2011, so even hearing All the Times We Had presented as a "debut" feels strange. These guys have been polishing and tightening their sound â and many of these particular songs â for ages, though this seems like as good a moment as any for a proper coming-out party." We last heard from these guys back on Episode020 and we close out another show with our usual Pacific northwest band, thanks!
(More Info)

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@PumpUpThaVolume Music News:
What is it about @MumfordAndSons' "#IWillWait" that leaves me empty? Like @Coldplay, they're technically proficient but emotionally hollow.
It's that pesky #LowestCommonDenominator thing: If @Coldplay were the dumbed-down @Radiohead, what does that make @MumfordAndSons?
@DABUTTCOLLECTOR I think @LanaDelRey says on the new "Paradise EP" that hers tastes like Diet Pepsi. Either taste is corporate poison, tho!
#SongsIWilAlwaysLove: "#SomebodyToLove" by @QueenWillRock
Vans Warped Tour turns 19 this year, which is older than its average attendee.
Nine Inch Nails and the Cure appear on a "leaked" Lollapalooza poster that is likely real
On WIRE's âChange Becomes Usâ the class of '77 legends raise the pink flag anew
Gorillaz's 'Monkey' musical swinging over to Lincoln Center
Kings of Leon promise their "youthful" new album is due out this September
Paul Williams, founder of the first music magazine 'Crawdaddy!,' has died. He was 64
R.I.P. Phil Ramone -- Grammy Award winning producer worked with Dylan, McCartney, and was innovator of CD
Sorry for the delay. #Episode052 will drop very soon, an hour or so. Right now I'm listening to ABBA on @am1550kkov
Wait a second, that's not Sunny 1550am... What is that station?

(Thanks again to @KEXP, @KCRW, @TheCurrent and you!)